Editorial: Pa. policy trick' is no treat for the citizens

An unfortunate characteristic of most government in Pennsylvania is its ability to hide matters of public policy when it become embarrassing.

It is human nature, of course. No one likes to have his dirty laundry inspected in public.

Yet, hiding dirty laundry is an art form in Pennsylvania. Officials routinely resist public inquiries when the public inquires. Laws that seemingly demand openness are ignored. It is not a bad bet.

The process to force openness is time consuming. Most times, an inquiring member of the public will be effectively stonewalled.

Every now and again, a demand from the public focuses a dim light on an issue. Not to worry. The public will be protected from its interest. A lawyer citing “the law” will protect elected representatives from the public. Elected representatives may reasonably hide behind their solicitor and “the law” by refusing to comment further or refusing to allow the public further knowledge.

The Coatesville Area School Board finds itself in a quandary.

The repulsive text messages by the superintendent of schools and an athletic director have left the public demanding more information about the management of the issue by their school board.

The school board’s initial impulse to hide the messages proved untenable.

The messages were leaked to the news media. Yet the school board, bolstered by its solicitor, continues to evade the public about the decisions it made. All it wants to do is “move on” from the controversy.

The school board is making this matter worse. It is using “law” as a cloak.

Members of the general public are shocked by this incident. Many are hurt — deeply — by the personal and racial animus expressed with such flippant disrespect by the two individuals trusted to be leaders and educators.

The school board should neither hide behind its solicitor nor the “law.” The credibility of the school district is on view.

The school board and its solicitor do not have to like it. The normal Pennsylvania policy — trick — to hide the business of the public from the public, is not working.

The school district — its students, parents, employees, taxpayers, citizens — is being badly served by limiting information on this topic.

For more than a month, there has been the corrosive drip of rumor. Enough proved truthful. More allegations remain. Is the truth so terrible?

If so, as elected representatives of the people, the school board has an obligation to tell the truth to the people.

The school board should not wait to see what a solicitor can do to limit the legal “damage” in a civil proceeding. The school board should not wait to see if a prosecutor “gets” somebody.

We presume all members of the school board ran for office and have served in office to try and do the best they can for the students of the Coatesville Area School District.

We presume this controversy is as distasteful to them as it is the public.

It is better to lay out the facts — all of them.

Nothing about this story is pleasant. It will not get better. The impulse will be “to control” information “to protect” someone, something.

The public may not like the facts. But without honest answers it is difficult to develop honest conclusions to make honest decisions. That is the right way to move forward. It is the only way.